Museum-Oriented Services

For over 30 years we have been providing consultation services and displays for museums in the general field of vintage communications history. Our customers have included the Henry Ford Museum, The National Cryptological Museum, The Bletchley Park Trust Museum, The Spy Museum in Washington, DC, and over 40 others.

Through our network of historians, consultants, skilled restoration specialists, craftsmen, and collectors, EnigmaMuseum.com is able to provide the highest level of service to individuals and institutions interested in virtually any aspect of antique and clandestine communication devices and Enigma cipher machines.

This page lists some of the services that we offer. Please contact us directly if we can be helpful with your planning.

SPECIFIC SUGGESTIONS FOR MUSEUMS:

We have produced and developed several special exhibits that have proven to be useful to museums displaying Enigma cipher machines and related instruments.

1. An Authentic Enigma-in-Action Video.

This unique video shows an absolutely accurate reenactment of German WW-II soldiers going through the steps to set up and use an Enigma to encode a message. It is the only video that has ever been made to explain and show the setup and use of an Enigma. The German Soldiers set up the Enigma, encode the message and then transmit it by radio to another Enigma and the video shows the steps in setting up the destination Enigma to decipher the message.
The video is 14 minutes long and can be played on any computer.

Bletchley Park shows this video continually in their main exhibits in Block B, and they have trimmed it to about 7 minutes by skipping over the repetitive deciphering settings. The Marconi Museum in Chatham MA has also trimmed the video for display.

You may view a small version of the video at:
http://EnigmaMuseum.com/eia1w.htm
If you would like a full-screen version, please contact us directly. There is no charge for using our video and all that we ask is that you mention www.EnigmaMuseum.com.

2. Authentic Audio-Visual Enigma Radio Transmission Simulator.

This is an inexpensive, stand-alone device that creates and sends Enigma-Encoded 5-letter groups of letters in audible Morse Code and simultaneously displays the message letter-by-letter in its screen. This device precisely duplicates the sounds that the Allies heard on the short wave bands when the Germans were sending their Enigma-encoded messages in Morse Code. The simultaneous visual display allows museum visitors to see and hear these messages.

This device costs less than $100 and runs on a 9volt battery. It can be modified to run on a 9volt wall adapter.

We recommend installing the device with an external power supply for continual operation.

We also recommend installing an accompanying sign that reads:

GERMAN WW-II ENIGMA-CODED MESSAGES
Consisted of 5-letter groups. They sounded exactly Like this to the German and Allied radio operators during the war. You may read the letters on the screen as you listen to their Morse Code sounds.

3. Authentic Enigma Simulators for Computers.

There are a number of excellent Enigma simulators that allow you to transform a computer into an Enigma. The dispays duplicate the appearance of an Enigma and the operation simulates using an Enigma. Whether a museum owns an Enigma or not, these simulators allow visitors to actively participate in encoding and decoding Enigma messages in a realistic fashion. The simulators can simulate every model of Enigma and can be used to encipher and decipher actual Enigma messages. If you do not want visitors to directly operate your Enigma, you may want to set up one of these simulators to allow them to simulate using an Enigma.
Basic Simulator: http://EnigmaMuseum.com/enigma_w.zip
Advanced Simulator: http://EnigmaMuseum.com/EnigmaSim.zip

4. Enigma Book:
The book: INSIDE ENIGMA: The Secrets of the Enigma and other Historic Cipher Machines is available from our publisher: http://EnigmaMuseum.com/iead.htm
It contains detailed information and 208 pictures and it may be a worthwhile addition to your museum store.

5. Enigma Library CD-Rom: The Story of the Enigma: History, Technology and Deciphering is available from our publisher: http://EnigmaMuseum.com/ecds.htm
This CD-ROM contains an extensive library of Enigma information, books and videos.
It may be a worthwhile addition to your museum store.

6 Other Enigma-Related Services, Repairs, and Consulting:

We have been hunting for, researching, restoring, documenting and selling Enigmas for over 25 years. We are the only company that specializes in Enigma history and has the experience and skills to restore Enigmas to working condition. Please contact us for further information.

SPECIFIC MUSEUM DISPLAY ITEMS

We usually have the following items available for your Communications-Related Displays:
They are listed in chronological time era from the American Civil war through the Cold War:

1. American Civil War Era Original Pocket Spy Telegraph Set:
These tiny telegraph sets were carried in the pockets of spies during the American Civil War. They consist of a tiny telegraph sounder and telegraph key in a closed protective case. To use the set, the spy would throw a piece of wire over the uninsulated elevated enemy telegraph line to make contact with it. The other wire was wound around a bayonet and jammed into the ground to complete the circuit. The enemy telegraph signals caused the tiny sounder to click and the spy could read the enemy messages. The spy could also use the tiny telegraph key to send false messages to the enemy. We supplied the pocket spy telegraph set that is on display in The Spy Museum in Washington, DC. These sets are very rare and when we have one to offer it ranges from $4,500 to 8,500 USD.

3. American Civil War era original telegraph sending and receiving set.
This is a telegraph key and a telegraph sounder mounted on a board. These sets were used as portable sets or mounted on a table. $ 1,500 - 2,500 USD.

2. American Civil War era replica code wheel:
This is an accurate reproduction of the code wheels used by the Confederate States of America (CSA) during the American Civil War. It comes with a carrying case and instructions: $ 45.00 USD

4. Original German WW-II 3-Rotor Army and Air Force Enigma Cipher Machine.
We are the only organization in the world that offers complete original restored and working German WW-II Enigma cipher machines. Please contact us to find out about our current machines. We try to offer our machines at a considerably lower price than the as-is and often incomplete machines sold by the major auction houses. $ 175,000 - $225,000 USD

5. Exact Replica German WW-II 3-Rotor Army and Air Force Enigma Cipher Machine.
Because original German Enigma cipher machines are so expensive, an extraordinary German machinist has succeeded in making an absolutely exact replica at a price that is about 1/4 the price of an original. He completes one replica each year and will make only 10 of them. Please contact us to find out when the next one will be available. $ 55,000-65,000 USD. For more information, please visit: http://EnigmaMuseum.com/replica/

6. Original German WW-II 4-Rotor Navy Enigma Cipher Machine.
The German Kriegsmarine M4 4-Rotor Enigma is the ultimate collectible. They are exceptionally rare and command the highest prices in the few auctions where they are offered. We generally have one avilable that has been restored to working condition. $ 295,000 - $395,000 USD

7. Battlefield-Recovered Frames and Parts of German WW-II Army, Air Force and
Navy Enigma Cipher Machines.
We are constantly searching for Enigma parts in battlefields and lakes.
Please contact us for our latest inventory. $ 300 and up...
At the end of the war the German military ordered the destruction of all
remaining Enigmas. After the war, Churchill ordered the destruction of all
remaining Enigmas. As a result, 99% of all Enigmas were destroyed. These
relic parts and Enigmas clearly show how 99% of all of the Enigmas appear
today. The relic Enigmas and parts are an unusual and attention-getting
addition to any museum display of Enigma history.

8. Original British WW-II Spy Suitcase Radio:
This is the famous B2 suitcase radio used by spies and the resistance during
WW-II. $ SOLD.

9. Original American M-209 Cipher Machine.
This is the cipher machine that the American military used in the field during WW-II. It is an all-mechanical and very complex cipher machine. For more information please visit:
http://EnigmaMuseum.com/em.htm#m209/
$ 4,500 - 6,500 USD

10. Original American WW-II "Walkie-Talkie" Portable and clandestine Radio Transmitting and Receiving set.
This was the first portable hand-held radio. It was used by the American forces in all theatres of WW-II.
$ 400 - 800 USD.

11. Original Russian FIALKA Cold-War Cipher Machine
The Russian FIALKA cipher machine was used throughout the Cold War and was in service until very recently.U
It is a very complex machine with 10 counter-rotating rotors, rotors with 60 possible wiring configurations, and a punched card reader. It prints and punches data onto paper tape. The Fialka machine includes the case and power supply as shown. For more information please visit:
http://EnigmaMuseum.com/em.htm#fialka/ $ 9,500 - $ 16,000 USD.

12. Original Russian FIALKA Cold-War Cipher Machine Adjustable Rotors
The Rotors used in the FIALKA are exceptionally versatile. Instead of having
just one wiring maze between the input side and the output side, the wiring
maze can be removed and reinserted in 60 different ways. This gives the
possibility of 60 differently wired rotors. For more information please visit:
http://EnigmaMuseum.com/em.htm#fialka/
$ 145 USD.

14. Original Russian Spy Pocket secret Message Burst Encoder.
This device was carried by spies in the field. They entered secret messages using the telephone-like dial and they were recorded on a magnetic tape cassette for playback at high speed in a spy radio. $2,700 USD.

15. Original Russian/East German Disguised Telephone Tap.
This device was placed in the basement of a subject's house by a telephone repairman. It looks like a telephone line conditioner but it is actually a telephone tap that allows recording of telephone calls while remaining electrically isolated from the telephone line to avoid detection. $ 500 USD

Other Items

We are in close contact with over 3,000 collectors and historians. With their help we can generally find even the rarest and most unusual items. Please contact us with your needs.

SPECIAL ENIGMA CORROSION WARNING

We have discovered that as many as 10% of all surviving Enigmas may be in danger of major corrosion due to the deterioration of some light-colored green light filters that are giving off large amounts of Acetic Acid Fumes ! If you have an Enigma Please Visit:
http://EnigmaMuseum.com/corrosionalert/